mishandle
Manage very poorly
To mishandle something is to handle it badly or clumsily.
You can mishandle physical objects by dropping or damaging them, but the word more often describes poor management of situations, information, or responsibilities: The police mishandled the investigation from the start.
A mishandled crisis grows worse through incompetence or poor judgment.
Handle with clumsy fingers
goof · screwup · mess up · flounder · snafu · foul up · misexecute · misplay
Govern or manage badly
- misgovernLead a state poorly
- misdirectLead away from truth
- misallocateDistribute to wrong place
- misappropriateWrongly take another's assets
misapply · misrule · disorganize · misjudge · miscalculate · squander · waste · misdeal
Lack of ability
- clumsinessLack of physical grace
- awkwardnessLack of grace or ease
- bunglingMishandling through incompetence
- maladroitnessLack of skill or coordination
unskillfulness · inexperience · amateurishness · ham-handedness · heavy-handedness · fumbling · gracelessness · inefficiency
Cruel or violent treatment
- maltreatTreat someone cruelly
- rough upAssault without severe injury
- brutalizeTreat with cruel violence
- harmInjury or damage
injure · damage · batter · assault · misuse · violate · wrong · ill-treat
Failure to provide care
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- disregardWillful lack of attention
- carelessnessInattention causing mistakes
- inattentionLack of focus
heedlessness · irresponsibility · laxity · dereliction · remissness · sloppiness · inadvertence · nonfeasance
fumble
Handle with clumsy fingers
muff · goof · screwup · mess up · flounder · snafu · foul up · misexecute · misplay · drop the ball
maladminister
Govern or manage badly
- misgovernLead a state poorly
- misdirectLead away from truth
- misallocateDistribute to wrong place
misappropriate · misapply · misrule · disorganize · misjudge · miscalculate · squander · waste · misdeal · misguide
ineptitude
Lack of ability
- clumsinessLack of physical grace
- awkwardnessLack of grace or ease
- bunglingMishandling through incompetence
maladroitness · unskillfulness · inexperience · amateurishness · ham-handedness · heavy-handedness · fumbling · gracelessness · inefficiency · butter fingers
abuse
Cruel or violent treatment
- maltreatTreat someone cruelly
- rough upAssault without severe injury
- brutalizeTreat with cruel violence
harm · injure · damage · batter · assault · misuse · violate · wrong · ill-treat · oppress
neglect
Failure to provide care
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- disregardWillful lack of attention
- carelessnessInattention causing mistakes
inattention · heedlessness · irresponsibility · laxity · dereliction · remissness · sloppiness · inadvertence · nonfeasance · omission
- fumblesdrop, slip, bobble, muff, fumble
- evidence handlingcollect, preserve, document, secure, examine
- mistakesmistake, mistakes, slip, error, errors
- glitchesglitch, bug, error, malfunction, flaw
- sports mistakesown goal, fumble, bad pass, dropped pass, wild throw
- waste wordsspoil, rot, decay, trash, discard